Mail-box flag.



. 1-". o. HESS. MAIL BOX FLAG. v I APPLICATION FILED APR. 20. 1909.

932,547, Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

mam. Hm

FRANK 0. HESS, OF GOATQVILLE, MISSOURI.

MAIL-Box FLAG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 20, 1909. Serial No. 490,986.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F RANK 0. Hnss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Coatsville, in the county of Schuyler, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Box Flags; and Iv do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in mail boxes and more particularly to the type used on rural routes.

It has for its object the provision of a signaling device which is adapted to be actuated by the entrance of mail matter into the box so as to display a signal to the carrier.

Another object is the provision of a construction which can be applied to most forms of rural mail boxes, now in use.

A further object is the provision of a construction which will be exceedingly simple and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, possessing few parts and these so arranged that the danger of derangement will be reduced to a minimum.

With these and other objects in viewas will more fully hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in certain novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

It being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the device may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification: Figure 1 is a transverse section of a mail box fitted with my device and showing the position of the parts, when the box is empty. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the parts after a letter or package has been placed in the box. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the box.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

As shown in the drawings the mail box 5 is of a well known type and is provided with a drop 6, and is intended to be applied to a suitable support.

The bottom of the box is designated by the numeral 7 and the rear wall by the numeral 8; pivoted to the rear wall 8 is a platform 9. The latter is so disposed within the box that it moves in a vertical plane and is of a length considerably less than the length of the box, but sufficiently large to engage the letters or parcels as they are dropped in the box from the slide 6. As shown in the drawings the platform is disposed substantially in alinement with the longitudinal center of the back 8. Arranged transversely of the platform 9 and rigidly secured to one face thereof and adjacent one end, is what will subsequently be termed a balance rod 10, one terminal of which extends in advance of the outer side of the platform 9 and is provided with a weight 11, the opposite end of the rod 10 extends through an elongated opening in the back of the box and terminates at a suitable distance from the outer face of the back.

What will subsequently be termed a signal standard is designated by the numeral 12, this member is preferably formed of a single piece of rounded iron or the like and "is bent to the shape of a right-angle as shown, the sides of which are of unequal lengths. The shorter side 13 of the standard is secured to the outer face of the back 8 and extends at right-angles thereto and the opposite or long side 14: extends vertically and terminates at a point above the plane of the box 5.

A signal arm is designated by the numeral 15 and has its intermediate portion pivoted to the upper end portion of the long arm '14, as shown at 16; one end of the arm 15 is provided with a flag 17 or other similar signaling device while the opposite end terminates in an eye 18. The outer end portion of the balance rod 10 is provided with an eye for the reception of a horizontally disposed pivot 19, and a similar balance rod 20 is provided on one end with an eye for the reception of the opposite end of the pivot pin 19. A cross piece 21 has one end rigidly secured to the intermediate portion of the short side 13 of the signal standard and its opposite end forms a pivotal support for the intermediate portion of the second-.

mentioned balance rod 20. The free end of the latter member terminates in a balance Weight 22, and connection between the end portion and the eye 18 at the end of the signal rod is established by means of a link 23.

It is to be understood that the position of Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

the parts as shown in the drawings, is such that the signal standard 12 will be disposed in a plane substantially parallel with the balance rods 10 and 20 and link 23, it being further understood that the latter, will be of a length sufficient to extend from the lower end of the signal arm 15 to the second-mentioned balance rod 20, when the arm is in a dropped into the box and fallen on to the platform 9, the latter will move vertically downward which will cause the pivot point of the arms 10 and 2Owl1ich is located at 19 to move vertically upward and inwardly; owing tothe pivotal connection of the arm 20 with one end of the cross piece 21 this upward movement of the pivot point 19 will cause an opposite or descending movement at the free end of the rod 20 whereby the link 23 will be pulled bodily downward which will raise the arm 15 and flag 17 to a position at substantially right-angles to the long 7 side 14; of the standard and in position to appreciated and will bea source ofsaving be visible above the box The parts will remain in this position until the contents of the box have been removed whereupon the flag will gravitate to its normal position by reason of the combined weights of the arm 15, links 23 and balance rod 20, over-coming the weight of the platform 9 and rod 10, whereby the latter will assume its normal vertical position. 7

From the foregoing it can be seen that I have provided a device which will be greatly conisde'rable time to rural carriers by pre venting them from opening boxes wherein no mail has been deposited. It can be seen that the device is such that it may be applied to any form of mail box now in use, and

when so applied, little or no attention will be required to maintain it in working order; Havlng thus described my mvention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a mail box the combination of a pivoted platform, a balance rod rigidly secured to said platform, a second balance rod pivoted to the first-named rod, a signal standard, a signal pivoted thereto and a link connection between said signal and the secondnamed balance rod.

2. In a mail box the combination of a horizontally pivoted platform, a balance rod extending through said mail box and having one end portion rigidly secured to the said platform, a second balance rod having one end pivoted horizontally to the outer end of the first named balance rod, a signal standard having one side secured to the mail box and its opposite side extending to a point above the plane of the mail box, a signal arm pivoted to the upper end portion of the seeend-named side of the signal standard, and a link having one end pivoted to one end of the signal standard and its opposite end to the free end of the SGCOlltl-12l1I1Gd balance rod.

3. In a mail box the combination of a platform, pivoted to the intermediate portion of one side of said mail box, a balance rod having one end extending through said mail box and rigidly secured to the said platform, a second balance rod having one end horizon tally pivoted to the outer end of the firstnamed balance rod, a right-angular signal standard having one side secured to the outer face of said mail box and adjacent the said balance rods, the opposite side of said signal standard extending in advance of and terminating above the plane of said box, a signal armvpivoted to the upper end of the secondnamed side of the standard and a link having one end pivoted to one end of the signal arm and its opposite end to the outer end of the second-named balance rod.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK O. HESS.

itnesses J. A. GINDLE, G. V. HAMILTON. 

